February 5, 2017

Recently I served as a presenter for Follett Library's Webinar
Series, "Promoting Promoting Inclusion, Social Equity and Diversity in
Your Library." Presenting with Michelle Martin and Craig Seasholes was a
treat and I have a deeper understanding and respect for the work that
they are doing. Also, having the opportunity to give three of my
favorite scholars (Drs. Keith Curry Lance, Elfreda Chatman & Stephen
Krashen) public kudos, simply made my day.

If you would like to view
the webinar or download the slide presentation, click the following
link and you will be re-directed to a landing page where you can select
the option of your choice.

#BlackHistoryMonth2017
Described as “the historian who never wrote,” Vivian Gordon Harsh
was the first African American librarian in the Chicago Public Library
system and a significant contributor to Chicago's Black Renaissance.
Vivian Gordon Harsh devoted her life to building one of the most
important research collections on African-American history and
literature in the country.

Image courtesy of BlackPast.org

Fresh out of high school, Vivian Harsh began work in 1909 as a junior clerk at the Chicago
Public Library where she would remain during her 60-year career. In
1921, she received her B.A. in library science from Simmons College in
Boston, Massachusetts, and later took advanced courses at the University
of Chicago Graduate School of Library Science.

In 1924 she became the city’s first black professional librarian.
Through her involvement with The Association for the Study of Negro Life
and History founded by Carter G. Woodson, Harsh recognized the need for
library services on Chicago’s south side, the heart of the city’s
African American community.

The library itself became a Mecca
for literary and cultural icons of the period including Richard Wright,
Langston Hughes, Zora Neal Huston, and Gwendolyn Brooks, some of whom
contributed manuscripts to the institution. The resources first
accumulated by Harsh and Rollins in the 1920s have grown into the Vivian
G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature,
the largest of its kind in the Midwest and currently located at the
city’s Carter G. Woodson Regional Library.

In
her latest, Simone (‘Throwback Series: Down by Law,”) tackles the topic of
second generation families who are wounded by the 80’s drug epidemic within the
African-American community.

Yvette
Lavonne Simmons is a sixteen year old mother of a two year old daughter and
lives in the DaBricks, one of the toughest housing projects in the Brick City,
New Jersey.Yvette has no stable family,
dismal homelife and lacks the guidance of her absentee drug addict parents.After a street fight ended in a second degree
murder charge, her case worker, Janette sends Yvette and her child to a
professional parent home in Norfolk, Virginia.It is here that she is given the opportunity to start over under the
guidance of the stern and loving Aunt Glo.It is Aunt Glo breaks through the teen’s angry and defensive walls and
teaches her that she is worthy of a second chance and receiving love.Other characters such as housemate, Tasha
and romantic suitor Brooklyn also help Yvette through this journey of
self-awakening.

Simone cleverly uses
the music and culture of the 80’s as a colorful backdrop for Yvette’s
story.High school teachers, librarians
and social workers can effectively use “Dear Yvette,” as a cautionary tale for
troubled teens.Overall, this story is a
must read for teen street literature fans and should not be missed. By K.C. Boyd, Lead Librarian-East St. Louis School District, East St. Louis, Illinois

February 3, 2017

I am a huge fan of Dr. Stephen Krashen's work. Krashen is a linguist, education researcher and activist. He is also the professor emeritus at the University of Southern California.
I have used his research when writing papers and projects for class.
Over the last five years, I've been using his research to effectively
advocate for school libraries and librarians. His work has greatly
helped me when I have debated administrators and district officials on
the importance funding equity for the school library.

This is my favorite Krashen quote:

This image was created by Chris Ridell.

In this video, Krashen advocates for school libraries in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Please read this statement, I am sensitive about my work!

The AudaciousLibrarian.blogspot.com by
K.C. Boyd This work is based on the work of K.C. Boyd and The Audacious Librarian licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be obtained through written permission at kcboyd1@gmail.com.
In other words, just don't copy and paste ask! Email me if you would like to use images or content on this blog. Thank you!

'K.C. Boyd: A Leader for Readers"

School Library Journal Magazine

2015 Library Journal 'Mover and Shaker'

Change Agent

Chicago Hope: High School Librarian K.C. Boyd

K.C. Boyd has created a culture of readers at a struggling South Side high school.